1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display panel for a 3-dimensional display device and a corresponding method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a viewer can see a 3-dimensional image using the principle of stereoscopy. That is, the viewer sees two different 2-dimensional images through his or her left and right eyes. The viewer's brain then blends the different 2-dimensional images such that the viewer sees a 3-dimensional image.
In more detail, people are capable of seeing in three dimensions primarily because they have binocular vision. Binocular vision occurs when two eyes look at the same thing at a slightly different angle, resulting in two slightly different images. Therefore, a viewer's binocular disparity is an important factor when providing a 3-dimensional effect.
A method for displaying 3-dimensional images according to the related art includes a 3-dimensional display in which the user wears special glasses, an autostereoscopic 3-dimensional display, and a holographic display. The autostereoscopic 3-dimensional display type is the most popular because the viewer doesn't have to wear separate glasses.
In addition, the autostereoscopic 3-dimensional display type is classified into various sub-types. For example, one type implements a virtual 3-dimensional image through an optical illusion using stereo images (i.e., uses a parallax barrier). For example, FIG. 1 is an overview illustrating a principle of implementing a 3-dimensional image using a parallax barrier in a 3-dimensional display device 1 according to a related art.
As shown in FIG. 1, the related art 3-dimensional display device 1 includes a display panel 10, a backlight unit 20 and a parallax barrier 30. The display panel 10 displays a 2-dimensional image using light from the backlight unit 20. For this purpose, the display panel 10 includes pixels for the viewer's left eye (LP) and pixels for the viewer's right eye (RP) (hereinafter referred to as LPs (left eye pixels) and RPs (right eye pixels)). As shown, the LPs and RPs are alternately arranged with respect to each other.
In addition, the LPs and RPs transmit light from the backlight unit 20 to the viewer 40. Further, the LPs refer to pixels displaying a 2-dimensional image viewed only through the left eye 42 of the viewer 40, and the RPs refer to pixels displaying a 2-dimensional image viewed only through the right eye 44 of the viewer 40. Thus, in this instance, the viewer 40 recognizes a 3-dimensional image because their brain blends the 2-dimensional images viewed with the left and right eyes 42 and 44.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the backlight unit 20 is arranged at a rear surface of the display panel 10, and supplies light toward the display panel 10. The parallax barrier 30 is arranged at the front surface of the display panel 10 (i.e. between the display panel 10 and the viewer 40). Further, the parallax barrier 30 is used to allow the viewer 40 to recognize the 2-dimensional image provided from the display panel 10 as a 3-dimensional image.
In more detail, the parallax barrier 30 allows light that has passed through the LPs to only enter the left eye 42 and light that has passed through the RPs to only enter the right eye 44. That is, the parallax barrier 30 includes barriers 32 spaced apart from each other at a constant interval, and slits 34 between adjacent barriers 32.
As shown, the barriers 32 prevent light LL2 that passed through the LPs from entering the right eye 44, and prevents light RL2 that passed through the RPs from entering the left eye 42. Thus, the light LL1 that passed through the LPs can enter only the left eye 42 through the slits 34, and the light RL1 that passed through the RLs can enter only the right eye 44 through the slits 34. At this time, disparity information according to the viewer's binocular disparity is generated between the light LL1 entering the left eye 42 of viewer 40 and the light RL1 entering the right eye RL1 of viewer 40. Therefore, the viewer 40 can view 3-dimensional images.
Next, FIG. 2 is an overview illustrating an arrangement of sub-pixels of the display panel 10 in the 3-dimensional display device 1 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the display panel 10 includes R, G and B sub-pixels that are arranged in the same order for each unit pixel 12. That is, the Red/Green/Blue R, G and B sub-pixels are repeated in a same pattern in the row and column directions. Further, as shown, the unit pixel 12 includes Red/Green/Blue R, G and B sub-pixels.
Further, the LPs and RPs may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence to the R, G and B sub-pixels. Alternatively, the LPs and RPs may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence to a unit pixel 12 of the display panel 10.
Accordingly, and with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the LPs and RPs are provided in a one-to-one correspondence to the unit pixel 12 of the display panel 10 to thereby maintain a proper viewing distance. Further, the expression that “the unit of 3-dimensional image is the unit pixel 12” means that each of the LPs and RPs are provided in a one-to-one correspondence to the unit pixel 12.
However, if the LPs and RPs are provided in a one-to-one correspondence to the unit pixel 12, the region where Red/Green/Blue colors can be observed at the same time is confined to the ‘I’ region. Thus, this second method reduces each visible region compared to the method in which the LPs and RPs are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the R, G and B sub-pixels.
In addition, in the method shown in FIG. 3, the viewer 40 can not view a blue color B at the right side of ‘I’ region. Thus, a reddish fault occurs at the right side of ‘I’ region. Similarly, the viewer 40 can not view a red color R at the left side of the ‘I’ region. Accordingly, a bluish fault occurs at the left side of ‘I’ region. This phenomenon refers to a color separation phenomenon, which deteriorates the display quality of the display panel 10.